The interesting news from Charlie Manuel’s pre-game chat was that Jimmy Rollins could be ready to return on Sunday. It’s something we’ve heard before during this hamstring healing process, however, Manuel said he may even be ready to pinch hit before that. Rollins took part in a simulated game yesterday and by all accounts looked great. Let’s hope.

Today, I was interview by Mets Gazette Editor Frank Gray who asked me a few questions about the upcoming series. Here’s the interview in full.

Mets Gazette: How deep do you see the Phillies going in the playoffs? Why?

Pat –If the present is any indicator of the future for the Phillies, then they have an outstanding chance of winning the World Series for the second time in three years. However, I don’t want to jinx the team by looking too far ahead. Every single day, manager Charlie Manuel says we’re worried about today’s game, not tomorrow, not yesterday. It’s that mantra that has helped them succeed throughout a tumultuous season, even though it’s cliche as hell.

But since you’re asking me to look ahead (and assuming the Phils are in with a magic number of 4) I will say that at this point, they may very well have the best team in baseball. They are certainly the most dangerous. So with that said, I see them making it back to the World Series and I don’t think there are many people out there who would disagree.

Mets Gazette: Your team strengths and weaknesses?

Pat- For about two months in the middle of the summer, we were shown the Phillies weaknesses. They fell into a slump of epic proportions, something we haven’t seen around here in a few years. Amazingly, they’ve turned it around with a complete 180 and now it seems they have no weaknesses, only strengths. Here are a few of both.

Strengths: -Obviously, the rotation beginning with Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt. As I outlined a few days ago, this triumvirate has a chance to become one of the greatest of all time with a solid October. This strength might be the biggest strength of any team in the hunt for the playoffs. And as we all know, pitching wins you titles, and the Phils have three of the absolute best in the game. Lucky them.

-Another strength is their “been there/done that” attitude. Most of these players have witnessed postseason baseball firsthand over the last few season, so they know what to expect. They understand the grind and how a new season changes things completely. All season, through thick and thin, this Phillies team has been as even keeled in the clubhouse as you’ll see out of a team, and that serves to help them once the playoffs begin.

-I’ll choose one more, even though they have a bevy of strong points. This one may come as a shock, but the back of the bullpen has been a real source of stability for quite some time now. Ryan Madson missed two months after kicking a chair in the clubhouse. He’s now back and pitching some of the best baseball of his life. He also has a relatively fresh arm, although since coming off the DL in early July, Manuel has used him the most out of any other reliever in baseball. Post All-Star break, he’s pitched in 40 games but has been ridiculously good, sporting a 1.14 ERA over 39 1/3 innings. Brad Lidge, who many left for dead after a lost 2009 campaign, has been nearly as beneficial to this team after the break. His ERA stands at 2.23 since the midsummer classic, and he’s saves 20 games in his last 22 appearances. What was once a beleaguered part of the Phillies has been a boon for a team that needs some stability in an otherwise up-and-down pen.

Your gameday beer: Yards Love StoutAnything from Yards is a friend of mine. They just make damn good beers. My favorite is Yards ESA, but this Love Stout is intriguing. Right now, it’s cask conditioned at Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philadelphia, another enticing factor. Since I’v never tried the Love Stout, I can’t say first hand how it looks or tastes. But by all accounts, it’s a very dark beer with a dark head that has a chocolate and coffee aroma. For you java lovers, this could be gold. If your in Philly, get down to the Grey Lodge and order a burger med-well with one of these and enjoy the game. -Pat Gallen

Recommended for you

322 Comments

I AGREE PAT,THIS TEAM IS BETTER THEN 2008,A HELL OF ALOT BETTER THEN LAST YEAR.I MEAN WE HAD PEDRO PITCH 2 GAMES IN THE WORLD SERIES…..LOL,IMAGINE THE BID 3 THIS YEAR……OH BOY!!!!!!!! LETS GET A WIN TONIGHT VS THE KNUCKLE BALLER!

Andrew, we can all relax now. It’s not over, but it’s close. We may only get 1 of 3, but I still think the Mets have all but quit. With a Magic number of 4 and 9 games left, the Braves can go 7-2 and we caqn go 2-7 and still clinch. Im feeling good.

I hope the Mets’ knuckleballer R.A. Dikki does not put our bats to sleep for several games and Cheesburger Joe gets a solid performance under his belt and doesn’t crap the bed in the first couple of innings.

It would be like hating on your mom for baking you a cake every day.
Sure we can question some in game decisions
But the guy is manager of the year and if they win it all this year hes a hall of famer.
And then the statue is made in front of cbp

Andrew, a trained chimp could take this talent to the WS. I’m not hating on the old man, but I’m not going to give him credit for driving jet at mach speed. This team has won plenty of games despite the old man. I don’t know about you, but I remember all the games he cost us in 05 and 06. It used to drive me insane. The team got better (so has he) and has been able to overcome some of his blunders, like Dobbs PHing in the 7th the other night. Or the Robertson debacle. Anyway, you get my drift. No need to take this any further.

Votto is out again today for a mysterious sinus infection.
He has a history of some mental issues.
wondering whats really going on there.
Probably resting him but 3 days in a row is long enough to effect your swing

I am of the opinion that other managers “geniuses” like larussa and Torre wouldnt win here. They would tinker too much. Torre would have lost Lidge and Hamels. Ibanez would have been benched or even sent to minors. He was the worst every day player in the majors for 2 or 3 months this year.

I refuse to goto the hall of fame because of the Rose slight which I consider a disgrace. But if the Phils win another WS or 2 I will go when the old man is put in.

The baseball HOF without Rose is like the Beatles for some reason not being in the rock and roll hall of fame.

It’ll be embarassing if the braves lose to the nats. Bravoturd wouldn’t dare show his face because there is no valid argument to make his beloved, always- can- produce a- sellout- crowd team look decent.

@jeff — i was born in 63 so i know what your saying about philly sports heartbreak , but this team is a 180 from the usual drudgery .
This Phillies team is like no other ever and should not be lumped in with past philly heartbreak , these last 3 years is what it feels like to be a yankee fan as far as winning goes , whole new world brother .

makes me laugh. also what the eagles are doing. well what the owner is. first you have the qb of the future and pay him lots. after one half he looks to be traded. now the t h u g dog killer is playing. he cant throw and will never win the big games.

i can live without howie. i understand he will hit 30 homers but he strikes out more then any player i have ever seen in my entire life of living. swings at garbage. bonds was a juice head but the guy was great at the plate.

jeff , i’ll give you that , the only player i can remember that struck out as
much as ryan was Dave Kingman , young fans might not remember him
he was a met and a cub , i didn’t look anything up just goin by memory

philly does have a point though , maybe the rest of the country is right only in negadelphia could fans complain considering what this team has overcome and is ABOUT to accomplish (they are gonna win it again).
I guess some people are amazed how much ryan k’s.
If your old enough to remember though there has been alot of big hr hitters that k alot , ryans just at or near the top of the list. Give Andrew a few minutes he’ll tell us where ryan ranks in k’s per at bats so far for his career

I dont mind the Ks.
An outs an out. There are times you can have a productive out though and Ks make that impossible.

Ryan is up there with the Mark Reynolds of the world.
The thing is when he doesnt swing at the ball in the dirt hes so much better. I am also thinking his walk total is way to low.
He is what he is. You make a mistake you will pay.
Guys a winner. I pick him as my 1b of all in majors even over pujus.
I do still think hes 20% over paid. No 1b is worth 25 million. 20 million max.

I see the moron, Howard hating, short-bus riders are out in force again tonight. An out is an out, idiots. Even the best hitters in the world make 7 of them per 10 AB’s.

Let me remind all of you simpletons that no man has hit more HR in the past 5 seasons than Howard. No man has more RBI’s in the past 5 seasons than Howard. And no player in the history of MLB has gotten to 250 HR’s faster than Ryan Howard.

OMGZORZ! HOWARD SUCKS! 5 straight 30+ HR, 100+ RBI. I’ve never been a fan. He’s killing us. We would be sooooo much better if Sweeney started!!!!. ANd Utley just K’d! When Jimmy comes back Valdez should be our everyday 2 baseman!!!!1!1!

Lord, in the battle that goes on through life
I ask but a field that is fair
A chance that is equal with all in strife,
And courage to strive and to dare.
And if I should win, let it be by the code,
With my faith and honor held high;
And if I should lose,
let me stand by the road
And cheer as the winner goes by.
Amen

You have been here enough to expect it from jeff , he’s one of us so we let jeff be jeff ——- when he says something positive were all surprised
I gave jeff a little grief earlier for being negative just didn’t insult him.
But hey ” sticks and stones ” right .

My predictions have been great. But I come from it with a gamblers mentality and an ability to analyze a situation. Gambling is an information game. like horse racing or Poker. I have much knowledge of baseball and an ability to analyze it. As a gambler would. Unfortunately my knowledge of the NFL isnt what it once was or id give out some winners here. But my knowledge of baseball is at the sick level at this point.

The braves are done. May limp into playoffs but its moot.

Phils are favored to win it all at this point. Dont need some brawl to mess with stuff.
Series will be Rays and Phils take 2

told you guys to nto worry. And dont even consider the last 3 games of the season.

Kate,
This team is so good that every night someone different picks them up. Andrew is spot on, Chooch is our MVP this year.
Ryno is having a bit of a down season, but his down season is better than most guys good seasons. Hope he gets hot in October.

Andrew , we have to work on your self confidence , your too modest also. ha ha —- seriously though i gave you props for saying braves will drop off back in summer —– as far as your baseball knowledge your allright your almost at my level , ha ha . —– whats a rodent know about baseball anyway ?

@ryan — good stat i didn’t know that , if you think about it the giants were the team everyone mentioned the last couple years as a real threat to phils in a short series they just fell short the last couple years.
I dont think they could beat us in a 7 game series but 5 they could for sure.

man , 19-3 ! are u kidding me ? —— I listen to sports radio alot and i’ll tell ya it was probably 50-50 on how fans felt back before the allstar break. I had to call 610-WIP one particular day cause I was pissed at the negativity by some callers. I simply said , after what this team did the last couple years in aug/sept how can anyone count them out ?
This is 3 years in a row now with this year being the most impressive.
I know i’m stating the obvious but its truly amazing , I hope we get 3 or 4 more years of this dream i’m in after suffering for so long. I just wish my grandfather could have seen this, like most guys from that ww2 generation baseball was bigger than life to him. He didnt pass ti’ll i was 35 so we went to tons of games. He LOVED the PHILS , this team when its all said and done may be considered the best phils team ever (already are) and we can say we experienced it and tell our grandchildren
and others when were old men and women how great it was to be a phils fan at this time.

The phils cant really get into crap at this point
They can lose a chance to win the world series messing with a scrub team like the Mets.

Jay if they hit him. I will not forrget and next year I want head shots. Because they know we cant really get into it now. Too much to lose.
We arent a disgrace liek they are. So if they try stuff Ill be pissed. But the phils have to turn the other cheek. Maybe even sit chase now.

Philly your scaring me a little , Andrew please tell me chase isn’t gonna get hit on the hand or wrist or ANYWHERE that puts him out !
I’ll drive down there and wait in the parking lot for the culprit !
That was a clean , hard , baseball play . Just cause the mets quit playing theyre gonna cry about real baseball ? Did wright really say that where did you read it or see it ?

andrew i agree , anything but a world championship at this point would be tough depending on how it went down. Like losing game 7 in a WS is alot different then not getting that far. The journey is what its all about , all i know is we get to watch playoff baseball again , pinch me 4 years in a row ! — lefty your an old fart like me , 85 to what 2003 1 playoff apprearance , this is freaking awesome! WE gotta win it all , if we do i’ll organize a meeting place for the NATION at the parade.

If the Phils had taken the junk series vs the Stros/Bucs – we would not be in this race right now, the Phils would be playing the seconds, already in possession of their 4th consecutive division title.

Does anyone know if the Phils would receive any monetory award for having the best record in all baseball? A few days ago I recall Werth saying they are going for that record but I dont know if it means $$$ or just – phhttt! – prestige.

David Wright, on Chase Utley’s slide: “If he doesn’t mind guys coming like that after him, then everything’s good.”

_________

LOL. Who’s going to do that, David? You? LOL. You gotta have heart to do something like that. Currently, there are no members of your team who have any. So instead, the Mutts are going to try to bean Chase. Punks. Gutless punks. All of em.

wow those standings look great ! I never doubted we could win the division but knowone could have predicted it would look like that a month ago , not even andrew predicted it would be 7 games up on 09/24. I cant believe the pirates are 53-100 how can a team be that bad for what , 20 years ! —– I wish they could get back to respectability they were a great franchise in the 70’s . I have family there and theyre beyond despair , they have the steelers though 6 rings and counting , they might win it again this year , theyre my pick , best D in the NFL again